After Hours (song)

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"After Hours"

Song by The Velvet Underground
from the album The Velvet Underground
Released	March 1969
Recorded	November-December 1968 Sunset and Highland Sound, Hollywood
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	2:07
Label	MGM Records
Writer(s)	Lou Reed
Composer(s)	Lou Reed
Producer(s)	The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground track listing
"The Murder Mystery" (9)	"After Hours" (10)

"After Hours" is a 1969 song written by Lou Reed and originally performed by The Velvet Underground. It is the tenth and final track on their self-titled album. It is one of few songs with lead vocals by drummer Maureen Tucker, as Lou Reed stated the song was "so innocent and pure" that he could not possibly sing it himself. Tucker's vocals are accompanied by acoustic and bass guitar.

The song was re-recorded by Maureen Tucker with instrumentation by The Changelings in 2002. It was released on the single I'm Sticking With You / After Hours.

The lyrics for the song were later rewritten in 2006 for the Michel Gondry film The Science of Sleep under the title "If You Rescue Me". In the film, the character Stéphane dreams he is performing the song dressed as a kitten. The film's soundtrack features two versions of the song, one titled "If You Rescue Me (A Capella)" performed by Linda Serbu and one titled "If You Rescue Me (Chanson des Chats)" performed by Gael Garcia Bernal, Sacha Bourdo, Alain Chabat and Aurelia Petit.

R.E.M. performed the song whilst touring the album, Green, one performance being recorded on the Tourfilm DVD. Blind Melon singer Shannon Houn sang it briefly at a concert. Meg White, of the White Stripes, covered the song on 12/31/2000 to conclude their New Year's Eve concert.